Earlybird apparently invests in Droiddrive

If the start-up has its way, delivery services will soon be shipping their goods with automated cargo trailers.

The Aachen-based start-up Droiddrive has successfully completed its extended seed financing round. The venture capitalists Earlybird Venture Capital and be10x Capital GmbH as well as NRW.Bank invested. According to the internet platform Gründerszene Earlybird led the round. In total, a low million amount is said to have been raised. The company's product is an electrically powered cargo trailer called Ducktrain. With the money, the startup now wants to push its development further.

The prototype of the Ducktrain was launched in Aachen in 2020. Two more are to drive around Hamburg from March 2022. For this purpose, the start-up has found a partner from the freight forwarding industry. The cargo trailers can be docked onto bicycles, tricycles or e-cargo bikes. Users can connect up to five vehicles with a maximum load of 300 kilograms, and a driver's license is apparently not required.

The trailers are docked to the vehicle with the driver using a tow bar. However, the company still has a lot of plans: For example, a so-called "Follow Me" vehicle is coming soon. Equipped with a sensor, the car would then automatically keep the distance. Other vehicles are also to be added. For the time being, the start-up in Aachen is only focusing on corporate customers, including parcel and food delivery services, for example.